The invention relates to thermoplastic composite reinforced thermoforms and blow-molded articles. Conventionally, plastic objects are prepared by thermoforming by the step of pulling a plastic sheet from a roll over a die or mold of the object to be formed, then sealing the sheet along the periphery of the mold. The plastic sheet is then heated to render it pliable, whereupon pressure is applied from above the sheet forcing it into the conforms of the mold. Alternatively a vacuum is drawn from below the sheet evacuating the air in the space between the mold surface and the sheet surface thereby drawing the surface of the sheet into the conforms of the mold. Additionally, pressure and vacuum can be used together to form the article.
When the heated sheet is expanded into and held against the contours of the mold and allowed to cool, the sheet retains the details of the mold upon removal. The plastic sheet is a thermoplastic material such as ABS, acrylics, polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride, high density polyethylene, acetate, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, and polystyrene. A brief survey of various thermoforming processes can be found in the background of U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,800.
It would be an advance in the art of thermoforming to prepare a thermoform that contains a reinforcing structure.
The present invention addresses a need in the art of thermoform or blow molded structures by providing a reinforced thermoplastic article comprising a) a first thermoplastic layer; and b) a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite that contains a thermoplastic resin and a plurality of continuous reinforcing fibers impregnated with the resin, wherein the first thermoplastic layer is thermoformed or blow-molded to the thermoplastic composite.
In a second embodiment, the present invention provides a process for preparing a reinforced thermoplastic article comprising the step of thermoforming or blow molding a first thermoplastic sheet to a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite that contains a thermoplastic resin and a plurality of continuous reinforcing fibers impregnated with the resin.